THE STOLEN || OLD - being rewritten

Epilogue

The she-cat sat alone in silence, her gaze downcast as she stared vacantly at the earth. Her stone cold stare was empty and emotionless. The only expression that contorted her features being that of a relentless frown that expressed unimaginable rage and hatred. The den was damp and dark. Her nest neat and tidy in the corner and throughout her pelt were cobwebs and poultices covering her wounds. Just outside she could hear the guards muttering and whispering to one another, gossiping and chattering away.

"Back to life? That's impossible. I saw her die!" A disbelieving tone mewed.

"And I saw her get back on all four paws afterwards! Darkpaw lives." Another cat gaped, hissing back at the other.

"What if she can never die?" The first cat echoed with fear.

"D-don't be ridiculous."

"If a cat can never die, how can we be expected to defeat them?" The first cat asked again, their voice trembling with a dreadful worry.

The young feline blinked her empty eyes, looking up at the den entrance at the crack of light that seeped in, illuminating half her face. It was true. Darkpaw had died and then come back to life. She had been there, she had seen it with her own two eyes. She had watched as Redflame dragged the apprentice's corpse out of the ditch and flung her into the middle of the battle field, declaring her dead. It was after when she had seen Maplepaw last. He left her side at that very second, letting out a screech of grief filled fury as he dove towards the queen who had simply tossed him aside. After that she had been fighting alone.

"Anyone and anything can be defeated."

Unmoving, the tabby she-cat listened, her ears pricking and her tail tip flicking back and forth impatiently.

"Lazarus!" The cats outside stammered and shuffled, straightening themselves up.

"You just have to know what their weaknesses are and how to get through to them." The massive she-cat mewed in a cool tone.

"B-but... If Darkpaw can't die then-" The feline who spoke quickly silenced themselves.

The lean tabby feline looked up, her head unmoving as she watched Lazarus enter the den. The massive tricolour feline sat down in front of her, her unmatched eyes glinting like a pair of dead stars in the half light as she smiled warmly at the younger she-cat.

"Sagepaw," The she-cat started. "I'm glad to be speaking to you today."

The green eyed grey tabby didn't respond, simply staring wordlessly at the floor.

Lazarus smiled, tilting her head to the side slightly. "Whisperstar tells me that you told her Darkpaw left you for dead. I thought you and Darkpaw were friends. Is that not true?"

Sagepaw didn't respond.

Shaking her head, Lazarus looked at the ground for a brief moment as she swept her thick, feathery tail over her large paws. Looking back up at Sagepaw, Lazarus spoke again. "But now you know who your real friends are, don't you, Sagepaw? Cats of The Legion would never leave you to die."

Gritting her teeth, Sagepaw dug her claws into the earth.

"So tell me, Sagepaw, what are you really?" Lazarus asked in a simple tone.

Rage, hurt and betrayal boiled in Sagepaw's belly. Looking up, the light revealed a massive wound across her face, a slash given to her by her father, Pineclaw, during the battle with the Clan cats. Hatred hardened her once gentle green stare.

Lazarus looked at her expectantly.

After a long pause, Sagepaw lifted her chin, now knowing her true place. "I am Legion." She echoed.

Lazarus grinned, her gaze glittering. "Yes, Sagepaw. Yes you are."